More than a dozen Latino organic farmers converged on Rep. Sam Farr’s office Friday asking for the Congressman to intercede in labor issues that are pitting the farmers against management of ALBA Organics.

Farr was not in his Salinas office Friday, but the fledgling farmers delivered a letter to a Farr aide listing allegations of discrimination against the farmers, unfair prices for the produce the farmers grow and fraud.

At the center of the strife is a marketing agreement ALBA, or the Agricultural and Land-based Training Association, a nonprofit, is having its farmers sign. Chris Brown, ALBA executive director, told The Californian that some farmers are resisting changes in the incubator program, specifically the new marketing agreement which places much more responsibility on them.

Brown said he is aware of the complaints from farmers. He said most of the 50 farmers associated with ALBA Organics have signed the agreement.

But the holdouts are saying their product is being denied for sale, causing the loss and waste of produce, loss of income to the farmers.

The letter delivered Friday to Farr’s office asks that the Congressman intercede on behalf of the angry workers, who have created an organization called Sembradoras del Futuro (Farmers of the Future).

Carlos Ramos, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said LULAC was disappointed that ALBA proceeded with the agreement deadline of June 30 before farmers could negotiate some of their concerns. LULAC is helping to organize Farmers of the Future.

“LULAC met with ALBA. The understanding was that they would not retaliate by forcing them to sign a contract that hasn't been vetted justly by the farmers, but they said either sign it or we will not take your product,” Ramos said. “And not taking the product by ALBA means no money.”

The farmers grievances include:

• Being forced to sign the agreement or face rejection of their products by ALBA Organics which markets them

• Paying 24 percent of their profit to farming costs and supplies to the nonprofit

• Not being notified in time if there is a problem with the product, rendering it unsellable.